The increase in syphilis among gay men is a major public health concern because it indicates sexual behaviour that could lead to an increase in HIV transmission.

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Syphilis, a sexually transmitted venereal disease, is rising among gay and bisexual men after being nearly eliminated in the United States more than a decade ago, according to a federal study.

The increase in syphilis among gay men is a major public health concern, said researchers at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, because it indicates sexual behaviour that could lead to an increase in HIV transmission.

The US syphilis rate in 2013 was 5.3 cases per 100 000 people, more than twice the all-time low of 2.1 cases per 100 000 people in 2000, the CDC reported. The majority of patients with the disease, which is treatable, were men who had sex with other men.

Among women, the syphilis rate decreased from 1.5 cases per 100 000 people in 2008 to 0.9 cases per 100 000 people in 2013, largely because of a decline in the number of black women with the disease, the study said.

The federal health agency recommended a prevention effort that includes increased screening for the disease and stresses the importance of using latex condoms, limiting sex partners and encouraging monogamous relationships with partners who do not have a sexually transmitted disease.

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